How has our world changed in 2012, and in what direction will it be going moving forward? Unlike previous years where there have been definitive actions that have set the world into motion for better or worse (ahem, 2008), 2012 has been a fighter year; one where we’ve seen unrest, turbulence, but a thread of continued trends. No definitive resolutions offered, but not a decline either, we’ve gotten through 2012 by our hopes for a better future.

So what does that future entail and what are the trends from the past year that will help put us one the right path?  One marked by connectivity and transparency thanks to technology and innovation, we’ve also seen shifts in terms of the economy with a slowdown of emerging giants such as China and Brazil, and an introduction to MIST: Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea and India. Is BRIC slowly moving out of the picture? Should we prepare ourselves for a new acronym every couple of years from here on out? In the following discover highlights from the year in global trends, and how things are shaping up for the coming ones.

What’s the work of a true genius? Explaining to a theater filled with over 1,000 executives how they can understand and predict the future… even if for some (including this blogger) it only lasts for the duration of the speech. However, there is no doubt in my mind that after Ray Kurzweil’s closing speech at the World Innovation Forum New York, the entire audience left the event with a plethora of probing questions to use in taking businesses forward.

“Real reality still has some advantages,” joked Kurzweil, “I could’ve done this speech from the comfort of my own home with my 3D image projected on stage, but then I would’ve missed this gorgeous theater.” Someone who continually has the future and the latest technology in mind, Kurzweil portrays this curious perspective in all that he does, and his speech on the World Innovation Forum New York stage was no exception. In the following, discover how you can predict the future in a very logical way in terms of bits and the miniaturization of physical information into information files by applying Kurzweil’s Law of Accelerating Returns.

The New York edition of the World Innovation Forum is approaching fast.  Taking place on June 20 and 21 at the New York City Center, this will be the seventh year that the event has been held in the Big Apple.  Looking at the lineup of speakers who will be taking part, it promises to be a fascinating couple of days for all those interested in innovation as applied to business.  There will be 11 key note presentations in total, including sessions with Guy Kawasaki, Ray Kurzweil, Ken Robinson and Clay Shirky.